Seven Days of Sesshoumaru and Kagome
by Chiera
Summary: Seven one shots that I wrote for the SessKag week on Tumblr, themed "Rare Words". Features both Canon and AU ficlets of various genres.
1. Day One: Appetence

This is a collection of the seven one shots I wrote in July 2015 for the SessKag week hosted in Tumblr by the sesskag blog. The genres and universes may vary.

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 **Day One**

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 **Prompt:** Appetence. _Noun. A longing or desire._

 **Universe:** (Post) Canon

 **Genre:** Humour, Fluff, Romance

 **884 Words**

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Her bare feet padded on the wooden floors as she walked down the long corridor. She crept in the hushed, light-footed manner of someone who did not wish to wake up anyone else as she sneaked about. Even in the darkness of the night there was certainty in her steps as she purposefully headed towards her decided destination.

She slid the _fusuma_ door open silently and closed it just as quietly after she had tiptoed into the room. She smoothed her loose _kosode_ and then started flitting about the room with determination. She went through the shelves and cupboards, easily locating everything she needed. She stacked wood into the stove and kindled the fire, before picking up a bucket and stepping outside to the cool night.

The air was moist and alive with the low chirping of crickets. She glanced at the starry sky and noticed the clouds. Another shower of rain would be falling soon enough. She took in a deep breath and then crossed through the yard to the well where she drew water until her bucket was full to the brim.

She puffed lightly by the time she stepped back into the house. The fire was crackling merrily in the stove and she poked it a little before putting the rice to cook.

The small ceramic serving bowls clattered as she laid them out on the tray, and she hummed to herself idly as she opened the various jars filled with pickled vegetables. There was daikon, cabbage, cucumber, turnip, umeboshi, and she carefully portioned some of each into their respective bowls.

The task finished, she rushed over to the stove and stirred the rice that was cooking merrily in its pot.

She closed the pickle jars and stowed them back into the pantry.

Picking up her chopsticks, she stole some umeboshi she had just laid out to a serving bowl, and revelled in the sour taste as it hit her tongue.

"Kagome? What are you doing?"

She inhaled the pickled plum in her surprise and fell into a violent coughing fit as she tried her hardest not to choke.

He was hovering by her side in an instant, his large hand splaying over her upper back, rubbing soothing circles as the coughs gradually subsided.

"How many times," she wheezed, glaring at her husband out of the corner of her eye, "have I told you not to sneak up on me?"

"I am sorry," he said in a sheepish voice.

Kagome shook her head.

"Though I am still curious as to why you are up in the kitchen in the middle of the night," he added.

"I woke up and was hungry," she shrugged, walking over to the stove to stir the rice with her chopsticks again. "I have this _terrible_ craving for pickles."

"You should have woken me," he chastised her. "I could have fetched you what you needed. You should get all the rest you can."

"We've talked about this, Sesshoumaru," she told him bluntly. "I want to be on my feet while I still can."

His lips formed a thin line. He knew that his wife was frustrated and deemed him overprotective, but it was hard to ignore the demand of his instincts.

It was very early still, she was only just starting to show; the slightest bump of a stomach.

His instincts would only grow stronger as the weeks would pass and her pregnancy would progress. He fervently hoped she wouldn't pull out all his hair before their child was born.

Kagome sent her husband a side-long glance. The hormones had made her a bit more peevish than usual, and his insistent bubble wrapping did not exactly help her temperament.

"Just tell me if I can help," he spoke at last.

"You, cooking? I'd like to see that," she teased him as she bent to pick up a few grains of rice to see if they were done yet. "Stay," she said then, in a softer tone. "I'd like the company."

"I was not about to leave you to your own devices," he replied firmly, earning a smile from his wife.

She loved him and he made her happy, and she was fully content with the life they were making for themselves. But some days, the sacrifices she had made to be with him stung her and left her breathless. Tonight was one of those times when she was suddenly filled with an aching longing. In the past few weeks, the pangs of homesickness had struck her more often than usual. She missed her mother terribly and would love nothing better than to see her, to be able to talk with her. Now that she was going to be a mother herself there were so many things she wanted to ask, so many things she wondered about.

She was jerked out of her thoughts when long fingers ran through her hair in a gentle caress. She looked up at her husband and gave him a grateful smile. This was why it was good to have him for company. He could bring her out of the gloomy melancholy that, if left alone, could swallow her whole.

She leaned in to him and they stood there, side by side in a content silence, basking in the warmth of the stove.


	2. Day Two: Anagapesis

**Day Two**

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 **Prompt:** Anagapesis. _Noun. Falling out of love; the feeling of not loving someone or something once loved._

 **Universe:** (Post) Canon

 **Genre:** Angst, Drama.

 **872 Words**

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He found her sitting on the rim of the well, her fingers twisting in the fabric of her red hakama, her glum blue gaze trained on her feet.

The slight slump of her shoulders told him that she had noticed him, even though she did not raise her eyes.

He crossed the clearing, and wordlessly sank down to sit on the warm grass next to the old well.

"We had another fight," she confessed sullenly after a while.

He hummed noncommittally. He had guessed as much, her relationship had been volatile for a while now. When they met, he would find her moody more often than not.

The tell-tale signs were there again, the gloominess tainting her bright aura, the tension that was etched into her slender frame.

He did not like this defeated look on her; it did not befit someone like her who bore such fire within.

Still, he was grateful that at least this time she had not been crying.

"What about?" he asked, idly picking at the grass by his feet.

"Something stupid," she sighed, her fingers curling to grip the rim of the well as she leaned back.

"Like what?" he prompted.

"Dinner," she replied at last. "We fought about what we should have for dinner."

He nodded, and shifted a little so that he could lean his back against the well.

"Seems like it has been happening a lot lately," he commented, keeping his voice carefully neutral.

She pursed her lips, her fingernails digging into the worn wood.

"Too often," she breathed.

The sadness permeating her soft voice made him scowl in discomfort and he squirmed, his shoulder brushing against her thigh in passing.

And then, finally, the words came, pouring out of her mouth with desperate urgency.

"It's not like either of us really even cares that much about what we're having for dinner. All our arguments are always over silly little things, you know? And we're never really fighting about _them_ … we're just fighting because we want to fight. Because it's one of the only outlets we have left."

She took a deep, quivering breath, before she continued. "One of us is feeling bad and takes it out on the other and then the other in turn will feel bad and it will fester until they reciprocate by picking another fight. It's an endless cycle of feeding off of each other's negativity."

"That does not sound healthy," he commented, a frown creasing his forehead.

"It's not," she replied readily. "It's _wrong_."

Her fingers twitched and she pulled them back into her lap and clutched them tightly.

 _It's not what I wanted_ , he could almost hear her say.

"It's been two years," she spoke wearily. "And I've been trying. I really have."

She paused, steeling herself for the next things she really needed to say.

"I don't think it's working."

Sesshoumaru stayed silent. Privately, he had been of that opinion for a while now, but this was the first time he had ever heard the priestess voice the words and admit to herself that perhaps her relationship had hit a wall.

"I know Inuyasha can be rough and that is only because he has had a rough life but I thought… I guess I hoped that he would grow out of it, you know?"

"Hnn," he agreed. "I do not think that was an unreasonable assumption. You were both very young. Well, you are still young, but you are not the same person you were two years ago."

"I'm not sure I like the person I am right now though," she confessed in a small voice. "Or rather, I don't like the person I am when I'm with Inuyasha. It's like he drags me down to his level or something. He makes me angry and I do and say things I regret later."

He hesitated for a moment, before he tilted his head, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. When she finally met his gaze, the words hovering at the tip of his tongue spilled out.

"Perchance the time has come to sit him down and talk."

The miko was silent for a long while. Her trembling fingers fisted her hakama again, kneading the fabric in a constant unconscious motion.

He watched her and took in her pale face, the downward angle of the corner of her lips, the creases on her brow, the vulnerable expression in her tired blue eyes.

"I guess," she finally whispered, her voice breaking a little. She sighed, all the air exploding from her lungs and she lifted her hands to cover her face.

Sesshoumaru noticed that her shoulders started to shake.

"I don't think I want to do this anymore," she said in a small voice.

Sesshoumaru did not reply.

Gently, he turned to her and reached over, prying her hands away. Her eyes were swimming with tears as she met her steady gaze. Her fingers curled around his hand, clinging to it, squeezing it tightly in a silent plea of support.

He allowed her that, and ran his free hand through her hair in a soothing caress.

If it was his support she needed, he was more than willing to give it.


	3. Day Three: Scintilla

**Day Three**

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 **Prompt:** Scintilla. _Noun. A tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling._

 **Universe:** AU

 **Genre:** Drama, Romance.

 **950 Words**

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Sango looked at her friend, her brow creasing in a frown.

"We could always go somewhere else," she suggested hesitantly.

"No," Kagome bit out, shaking her head. While the creep was annoying and all his staring kind of unnerved her, he hadn't actually done anything. Leaving the club because of him just felt like an overreaction.

Sango looked like she wanted to argue, but they were interrupted.

"Excuse me, Miss?"

Two dark heads turned, and saw a waiter standing by their table, holding a tray.

He smiled at Kagome.

"Here you go, Miss," he said, depositing the bright cocktail in front of the blue-eyed girl.

"But I didn't order anything," she declined.

"It is courtesy of the gentleman up there at the counter," the waiter said, indicating the dark-haired man Kagome had been trying to ignore.

She met his dark leering gaze and repressed a shudder. 'Gentleman' wouldn't be the first word she would have used to call Mr. Stares-a-lot.

For a while, she entertained the idea of marching up to him and splashing the drink he had bought her to his face, but alas, she was raised to have better manners than that.

"Feel like leaving yet?" Sango asked pointedly.

"I'm not letting a stupid guy creep me out. I'm here to have fun. Let's go dancing."

Sango huffed, but followed as her friend headed to the dance floor, leaving her unwanted drink untouched.

Still, despite her reservations, Sango found herself truly enjoying herself.

Kagome smiled widely to her friend, having good time as she moved to the upbeat music.

They danced together for three songs, until Kagome noticed Sango giving her a meaningful glance. She looked over her shoulder to see the creep from earlier hovering behind her, trying to dance with her. She sent a quick glare to his way before she grabbed Sango's hand and promptly marched to the opposite side of the dance floor. But the guy didn't seem to get the hint. He followed them, and this time as he appeared behind Kagome, his hands curled on her hips.

"I'm not interested," Kagome hissed to him as she jerked fee of his hold before moving to another spot again.

But the man kept trailing their steps and Kagome's irritation flared. Resignedly, she wondered if they would have to leave and go to another club after all like Sango had proposed, but then, suddenly, her blue gaze flitted to a removed corner booth and it's lone occupant, and an idea immediately sparked in her mind.

She recognised the man, but hardly knew him, having only seen him a few times in passing.

Still, better him than the creep.

She left the dancefloor and walked purposefully across the room. She didn't turn to look if either Sango or the persistent Mr. Handsy was following her. The only thing that mattered to her was the plan.

"Sesshoumaru!" she cooed loudly before she plopped down to sit next to him in the booth without preamble.

He regarded her with a puzzled frown but then his eyes widened a little in recognition.

"You're Inuyasha's friend," he muttered in a low voice.

"Sorry about this," she whispered hurriedly.

His eyebrow shot up and he opened his mouth to question her.

Kagome saw the opportunity and took it. Her hands firmly palmed his cheeks and then she crashed her lips against his, her tongue sliding into his mouth to silence him.

His eyes narrowed and his large hands twitched and then wrapped around her elbows. For a few nervous seconds Kagome was afraid he might push her away and foil the ruse, but then his tongue brushed against hers. He wrested the control from her and kissed her back thoroughly, with such fervour that Kagome forgot why they were kissing in the first place.

After what felt like forever, he pulled away, his narrow face hovering mere inches from hers.

"He's gone," his deep baritone voice informed her.

She stared at him in a daze, trying to comprehend his words.

"Huh?"

"The man who was following you," he clarified, his golden eyes boring into hers. "He left."

"Oh," she managed breathlessly, feeling a small pang of regret as he leaned back and let go of her. Her hands fell into her lap and she tried to ignore the way her elbows tingled and still radiated from the heat of his touch.

"Sorry," she added once she had finally managed to gather her wits. Her cheeks flamed, now that the situation was over and what she had just done fully sunk in. "He kept staring at me and then he just tried to grab me on the dancefloor and didn't seem to believe me when I told him I wasn't interested and then I saw you and I thought – " she babbled nervously, trying to ignore the insistent flutter in the pit of her stomach.

"It's fine," he cut in, the corner of his lips quirking up ever so slightly. "I understand your motivation."

She nodded sheepishly and looked everywhere but at him. She saw Sango sitting back at their earlier table. She was giving her a level stare, but Kagome shook her head lightly. Sango shrugged and turned back to her drink.

"Nevertheless," the deep voice intoned beside her, jerking Kagome's attention back to the handsome man sitting next to her, "I have to admit that while your approach was rather abrupt, it was not unpleasant."

A bright blush tinted Kagome's cheeks at his words and she turned her head. His burning golden gaze was both intent and fully focused on her. Her mouth went dry, the flutter in her stomach exploded anew, and she found herself unable to look away.


	4. Day Four: Ephemeral

**Day Four**

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 **Prompt:** Ephemeral. _Adjective. Lasting for a very short time._

 **Universe:** (Post) Canon

 **Genre:** Angst, Romance.

 **712 Words**

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Spring was the season of hope. The winter had been defeated, and the world was brimming with light and life once again.

Kagome sat on the veranda, cradling a ceramic cup in her hands.

Spring seemed to fill everyone with giddy excitement. But not her. She only felt a wistful melancholia.

Cherry blossoms were in full bloom, the most tangible sign of the change of season. People would flock to admire their beauty, revelling in it.

Kagome watched the blooming trees, their cloud-like branches swayed in the wind. The air was alive with a soft pink rain as the delicate petals fluttered to the ground.

She smiled ruefully.

The flowers were supposed to be a reminder of the fleeting nature of life, but looking at them, she could only think of death.

It had been nearly a century, but some days she still struggled. She looked down at her hands, wrapped around the teacup. They were callused in places, but they weren't wrinkled or trembling. Decades had passed by, without leaving physical marks on her, and on occasion that still unnerved her.

It did not feel _right_ because she had been born a mortal. Time should have touched her.

But it hadn't.

Still, time had found other ways to get to her, it had stolen away some of her nearest and dearest.

Kaede had passed first and she had returned to Edo for the funeral.

She had stood by Sango's side when they had buried Miroku. She had been an old woman then, while Kagome… well.

Sango had been the next to go and Kagome had gone to bid her goodbye, surrounded by her children she had once played with and held in her arms. Now they were adults, with children of their own.

Rin had been one of the hardest to let go. She had been so full of life even when the years had bent her shoulders.

Kagome sighed. She did not regret her choices. She could not.

But some days, it was harder to cope with the consequences than on others.

Some days, it tore at her heart that she had watched all her friends grow old and die. Some days, it twisted in her gut to know that she would not age like she should.

Part of the cherry blossoms' beauty was how short-lived they were.

Another gust of wind picked up, filling the air with a new flurry of floating petals.

One landed in her tea, and Kagome frowned at it, pursing her lips.

"Mama!"

She turned, looking at the young child bounding towards her.

"There you are," she smiled at the girl. "Come watch the flowers with me."

The child obediently plopped down to her mother's lap. Kagome hugged her close, and ran her hand through her silken locks.

"I hope you haven't been bothering your father," she commented, noting how the child's hands were stained with black ink.

"She has not," Sesshoumaru replied, quietly padding to where his wife and daughter were sitting.

"It was a lesson!" the girl piped up excitedly.

Sesshoumaru sat down next to his wife and dug a scroll out of his sleeve.

"Here," he said, passing it over to Kagome.

She took it and examined the two wobbly kanji, the character standing for love and the one for life.

"It's my name!" the girl offered helpfully, beaming up at her mother.

"So it seems," Kagome hummed, smiling at her daughter. "Very well done, Mei, it looks lovely."

Mei let her brush and ruffle her hair for a while but started to fidget in her lap soon enough. The child was only able to sit still for so long.

Kagome let her go, and the girl ran to twirl under the gnarly trees, jumping to catch the leisurely falling petals in her small claws.

"Are you alright?" Sesshoumaru asked her in a low voice, scooting closer.

She glanced at him and reached to take his hand, her fingers curling around it tightly.

"Yes," she told him firmly.

He studied her for a moment in silence.

"I know that springtime sometimes makes you feel sad."

"It does, but I'm fine now that you're here," she said simply, and then turned to watch her daughter's childish antics, a smile playing on her lips.


	5. Day Five: Nyctophilia

**Day Five**

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 **Prompt:** Nyctophilia. _Noun. Love of darkness; finding relaxation and comfort in darkness._

 **Universe:** (Post) Canon

 **Genre:** Slice-of-life, Romance.

 **672 Words**

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Sesshoumaru stared at the painted ceiling and gave up on sleeping. Youkai did not require as much rest, anyway, and though he felt tired it seemed that sleep was not forthcoming tonight.

He sat up and let his gaze sweep across the dark room, finally landing on the sleeping form of his wife. For a moment he simply sat there, listening to the slow, steady beat of her heart and her soft even breaths. She was curled up under her blankets and was perfectly still aside from the gentle rise and fall of her chest. Her face appeared serene, and Sesshoumaru felt the calmness emanating from her, allowing her aura to embrace him in a soothing wave.

He rose slowly, wary of waking his wife up. He did not bother with lighting a candle or a lantern, seeing perfectly clearly even in the darkness of the night. He crossed the room, his bare feet soundless on the tatami mats. He slid open the painted door and slipped out of the room.

Outside in the corridor the air was cooler and the soft roar of the pouring rain more pronounced. There was something peaceful in the sound as well, he mused to himself as he walked a few rooms down.

He opened the sliding door slowly and then halted in the doorway, peering into the bedroom, waiting to see if either of its occupants would stir from the noise.

The triangle ears of his eldest perked up, and the girl's small face scrunched up in her sleep, but she did not rouse from her slumber. She slept on, cocooned in her blankets. His son was sleeping even more soundly, snuffling to his pillow, his little legs twitching as he dreamt. He was curled in a ball and comfortably tucked as close to his older sister's side as he could muster.

Sesshoumaru's baser instincts were now sated, as he had checked to make sure all the members of his small pack were safe and sound. Still, he stayed in the doorway, feeling a sudden swell of pride as he eagerly drank in the sight of the sleeping children. Every now and then, in small quiet moments like this he would stop and marvel at how exactly he had come to possess such happiness; he, who had once been alone. He basked in the warm feeling floating in his chest and then, reluctantly, stepped back and slid the door shut, leaving his children to their dreams.

The soft and steady fall of rain hummed in his ears as he walked up the corridor, and slipped back into his own room. He turned to regard his wife again.

She had turned to her side, her dark hair fanning the mattress.

His expression softened, as it always did when he looked at her.  
It was all her doing, he told himself, the corners of his lips curling ever so slightly. She was the reason for his happiness; she was the heart of his pack.

"How long are you going to stare?" a drowsy murmur startled him out of his thoughts.

He had not noticed that his wife had woken, had not heard the change in her breathing pattern.

"As long as I want to," he replied at last, sure that she could hear his smile in his voice.

"You're such a guard dog," she grumbled, earning a small chuckle from him.

Then, her eyes opened, and despite the darkness surrounding them they looked straight at him, pinning him down.

"Come here," she commanded, her voice hoarse from sleep.

He readily obliged, padding across the room and lying down on her futon. He slid under the covers and gathered his wife in his arms, tucking her close. Her frame fit perfectly against his, and he let out a content sigh as he buried his nose in her hair.

She giggled from the sensation, and then her slender hand settled on top of his.

"Sleep," she told him, her soothing voice washing over him like the rain pattering outside.


	6. Day Six: Vagary

**Day Six**

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 **Prompt:** Vagary. Noun. _An unpredictable instance, a wandering journey; a whimsical, wild, or unusual idea, desire, or action._

 **Universe:** AU

 **Genre:** Tragedy, Angst, Horro(-ish).

 **739 Words**

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"Sesshoumaru!" the woman cried. Her hair was dishevelled, panic laced her voice, and she wrung her hands.

"Kagome?" the tall man questioned, his voice deep and calm. "What's wrong?"

"It's Naraku," she explained hurriedly. "We just found a new shard, see?" she opened her palm, showing him her treasured possession. "But then Naraku attacked us and Inuyasha got hurt really badly. I think he's still after us. He wants the shard. He wants me. He's going to come and kill me."

"Calm down," the man told the distressed young woman, trying to still the nervous babbling.

"You have to help us," the woman pleaded, her wide blue eyes agitated.

"You are safe here," the man reassured her. "Naraku cannot get to you, and no one's going to kill you."

"No," she shook her head, wildly looking around. "He's still after me, I know it. The Shikon told me that he will kill me."

"The jewel is talking to you again?"

"Yeah, it won't shut up. I wish it would shut up."

"Is it talking to you right now?"

"Yes. It says I shouldn't trust you."

"Kagome. You know I want to help you."

She stared at him and fidgeted; her knuckles white as she held the jewel shard in her fist. She chewed on her lip but did not reply.

"There's someone who'd like to see you," he continued in his soothing voice. "Would that be alright?"

"I guess," the woman replied after a while, picking at the hem of her shirt.

Sesshoumaru nodded to someone and then an older woman stepped forward, hesitantly standing by the tall man's side.

"Kaede!" Kagome exclaimed, her face breaking in a smile. She rushed to the woman and hugged her. The older woman's shoulders shook slightly as her arms wound tightly around the young woman.

"Did you hear? We managed to get another shard! We have almost half the jewel pieced together already! I think when we find a few more, we can – Kaede? Why are you crying?"

"It's nothing," the old woman said, wiping her eyes. "I'm just glad to see that you're safe."

"We're still in danger, though," Kagome told her gravely. "The more of the jewel we gather, the more attention we will get from Naraku. He wants the Shikon, and he's going to stop at nothing to get it. He attacked us and hurt Inuyasha. I will be next."

"I think you will be fine, dear," Kaede replied, stroking Kagome's hair. "You just need to stay strong."

"We need to go now, there's something we need to discuss," the tall man told Kagome.

"Are you coming up with a plan?" she asked.

"We are, yes."

"To defeat Naraku?"

"To keep you safe," the man reassured him.

The older woman embraced her again.

"I'll come to see you again, Kagome, okay? I love you."

"Sango will keep you company," the man told her before he escorted the older woman away.

* * *

Kaede Higurashi sat down in the doctor's office, her heart heavy in her chest as she wearily looked as Doctor Taisho seated himself behind his desk.

"Kagome seems to be doing a bit better," she said.

"She is certainly more responsive, but as you can see Mrs Higurashi, your daughter is still deep in psychosis. Now we could medicate – "

"No," the woman interrupted, shaking her head. "She didn't respond well to that."

"There are new medications that have been developed since the last time."

"I'd rather see her lost in her own world than completely shut down," Mrs Higurashi insisted, her hands trembling.

"The paranoid delusions she's having are causing her considerable anxiety," the doctor pointed out. "We've tried to address her fears in therapy and I think it has worked somewhat."

"Thank you for all your efforts, doctor."

"I have to be frank Mrs Higurashi, your daughter's prognosis does not look good. Her case is very severe, the early onset of the illness and the genetic predisposition both make the chances of her recovery slimmer."

"I understand, doctor."

"I promise you, though, that we're going to do whatever we can."

"Thank you, I appreciate it." The woman paused, her hands twitched in her lap. "Might I be able to see my husband now?"

"Of course, Mrs Higurashi," the doctor agreed in a kind voice. "Would you like me to accompany you to the B wing?"

The woman shook her head.

"It's fine," she sighed. "I will manage."


	7. Day Seven: Redamancy

**Day Seven**

* * *

 **Prompt:** Redamany. _Noun. An act of loving one who loves you; a love returned in full._

 **Universe:** AU

 **Genre:** Fluff, Romance.

 **665 Words**

* * *

With a bow, Kagome accepted the flat sake dish from the priest. She tried to appear as graceful as she could, but that was easier said than done. She was on the clumsier side to begin with, and she had never worn this many layers of kimono before. The way the heavy _uchikake_ draped on her felt awkward and the headdress didn't help either. Really, she was lucky she hadn't tripped over her feet during the procession.

She held the sake dish her husband-to-be's lips had touched only moments before and stood still as the miko stepped forward to pour the clear liquid into the dish. She raised it to her lips, tilting it twice and feigning a sip, and then on the third time drank the liquor, the dryness of the sake hitting her tongue. She had never particularly cared for the drink, but to her, it had never so sweet as it did right now in this moment.

She handed the dish back to the priest with another bow, and allowed a small smile touch her lips. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Inuyasha give her the thumbs-up, and she had to bite her tongue in order to keep a straight face.

The miko retreated and the priest tucked the sake dishes into a box and took it away.

Sesshoumaru shifted by Kagome's side, pulling out a letter and carefully unfolded it. Then he read their wedding vow, his deep steady voice filling the room as he spoke of love, respect and prosperity of the family. It made her heart skip a beat, to hear him say the words witch such conviction.

He had always been a man of his word, and she trusted him completely.

The miko returned, handing both of them sakaki branches. Kagome and Sesshoumaru placed them on the altar as an offering to the kami, and then bowed and clapped twice as in prayer, the sharp sound echoing in the shrine.

After the offering, the priest walked over to the couple with another box and set it onto the altar with a bow. Kagome returned the bow and watched as the priest opened the box to reveal two golden rings. Then, finally, she turned to face her husband.

She had seen him before the procession, and had cast furtive glances to his direction all through the ceremony, but it still struck her how handsome he looked. The striped hakama and the formal black kimono and crested haori were very becoming on him. Really, he ought to wear kimono more often.

His hands warm and steady grasped hers and held it as he gently pushed the plain golden band onto her ring finger. She looked up from the ring and smiled at him, her heart swelling in her chest.

His heart was in his eyes, their gaze so tender and sincere as he stared at her. She loved the way his stern face would soften whenever he looked at her.

Reluctantly she turned slightly away from him, to accept the other ring from the priest.

She willed her hands not to shake as she held the ring and slipped it onto Sesshoumaru's finger.

Their eyes met again, speaking all those words of love and devotion they could not voice.

With the rings exchanged, they turned once again to face the priest. Standing side by side, the couple bowed in unison, and Kagome heard a quiet sniffle from behind her back.

The only thing left now was the celebratory cup of sake. The guests raised their cups, and the priest offered them congratulations in a booming voice. The guests joined their voices to his in a chorus, and Kagome beamed as she drank the alcohol.

The ceremony had come to its end.

Kagome gathered the draping hem of her kimono as she and Sesshoumaru left the altar and accompanied by the steady beat of the drum, walked out of the shrine side by side, as husband and wife.


End file.
